Branko Ivanković

Branko Ivanković

Ivanković in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth	(1954-02-28) 28 February 1954 (age 70)
Place of birth	Varaždin, PR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	China (manager)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1979–1990	Varteks	269	(83)
Managerial career
1991–1995	Varteks
1995–1996	Segesta
1996–1998	Rijeka
1998–1999	Croatia (assistant)
1999–2000	Hannover 96
2001–2002	Iran (assistant)
2002–2003	Iran U-23
2002–2006	Iran
2006–2008	Dinamo Zagreb
2009–2011	Shandong Luneng
2011–2012	Al-Ettifaq
2012–2013	Al-Wahda
2013	Dinamo Zagreb
2015–2019	Persepolis
2019	Al-Ahli
2020–2024	Oman
2024–	China
Medal record Men's football Representing  Iran (as manager) AFC Asian Cup 2004
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Branko Ivanković (Croatian pronunciation: [brâːŋko ǐʋaːŋkoʋitɕ];^[1][2] born 28 February 1954) is a Croatian football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the current manager of the China national football team. After a 12-year playing career at Varteks, Ivanković started his coaching career at the same club in 1991. Prior to his appointment as the manager of Oman, Ivanković's most high-profile managerial positions were at the most successful Croatian and Iranian clubs respectively, Dinamo Zagreb and Persepolis as well as one of the most successful Chinese clubs Shandong Luneng. He additionally served as both assistant coach and manager of the Iran national team, leading the team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Playing career

Ivanković spent his entire 12-season playing career at Varteks, appearing in a total of 263 matches^[3] and scoring 31 goals.^{[citation needed]} He then continued to work at the club by first being their secretary and then starting his coaching career.

Managerial career

Croatia national team

Ivanković then became an assistant manager to Miroslav Blažević, who led the Croatia national team to a sensational third-place finish at the 1998 World Cup finals in France.^[4]

In the 1999–2000 season, he coached German club Hannover 96, which was playing in the 2. Bundesliga at the time. He briefly returned to the Croatia national team as the assistant to Mirko Jozić during the qualifications for the 2002 World Cup, before he took over the Iran national team, where he replaced Blažević, who had managed them since 2001.

Iran national team

Ivanković was appointed to the head of the Iranian team on 29 January 2002. Under Ivanković, Iran's U23 football team won the 2002 Asian Games in Pusan.^[5] He remained the coach of the national team until the end of 2002, when he was replaced by Homayun Shahrokhi.^[5]

Branko Ivanković during a Persepolis match

Ivanković had become very popular in Iran and the public media demanded a contract renewal, but the Football Federation was initially reluctant to appoint him as the head coach. Finally after a period of negotiations he was reappointed as the head coach of Iran on 3 October 2003.^[5]

Ivanković led Iran to 2004 AFC Asian Cup third place.^[6]

Ivanković also led Iran to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, the third time in the country's history (they had previously been eliminated in the first round in 1978 and 1998).^[6]

2006 World Cup

Iran, at their opening game at the World Cup, matched evenly against Mexico in the first half, but conceded two goals in the second. The second match against Portugal was not successful either, with Iran conceding two late goals to lose 2–0 and being left without any chances of advancing to the second stage of the tournament, as Mexico drew against Angola on the previous evening and left Iran unreachable four points behind. So, the third group match against Angola became insignificant for Iran. Angola put themselves into the lead with the opening goal after one hour of playing. The Iranians managed to equalise fifteen minutes later, eventually scoring their only point at the 2006 World Cup since the match ended in a 1–1 draw. This point was, however, only enough for Iran to occupy the last place in their group.

After the World Cup, MPE removed the Head of the Football Federation of Iran, replacing Ivanković with Amir Qalenoei.^[7] This in turn resulted a FIFA suspension for Iran's football due to political interference.^[8]

Dinamo Zagreb

On 6 November 2006, Ivanković replaced Josip Kuže as the head coach of Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb. He led the club to the Double in 2007 without losing a single competitive match. On 14 January 2008, he resigned as the coach of Dinamo Zagreb, mostly due to his differences with the club's executive vice-president Zdravko Mamić.^[9]

Ivanković returned as the manager of Dinamo Zagreb on 21 May 2008. He replaced Zvonimir Soldo, who resigned immediately after Dinamo won the domestic double.^[10]

In July 2009, Ivanković was offered the role of Persepolis manager in Iran, but he rejected the offer.^[11][12]

Shandong Luneng

On 17 December 2009, Ivanković was appointed as the new head coach of Chinese giant Shandong Luneng.^[4] In his first season, he led the team to the 2010 Chinese Super League winners with a record 63 points. The team secured the qualification for 2011 AFC Champions League, but Shandong were eliminated in the first round with 7 points. Due to poor result in the Champions League, he was dismissed on 10 May 2011, seven days before crucial game with Cerezo Osaka, which they lost by a score of 0–4.

Ettifaq

On 22 July 2011, Ivanković signed a one-year contract with Ettifaq to lead the club in the 2011–12 Saudi Professional League and return club to the AFC Champions League.^[13] He was sacked on 29 April 2012 after finishing the 2011–12 season in fourth.^[14]

Al Wahda

In May 2012, UAE Pro-League side Al-Wahda said it signed a two-year contract with Ivanković and that he would take charge at the club in the 2012–13 season, but his contract was terminated on 27 April 2013, after a 3–4 loss to Ajman Club.^[15] At the time of his dismissal, Al Wahda was ranked at the 7th place.

Return to Dinamo Zagreb

On 2 September 2013, Ivanković returned to Dinamo Zagreb, the club he led from 2006 to 2008. However, he was sacked on 21 October 2013, after just five games.^[16]

Persepolis

Ivanković in training with Persepolis at Derafshifar Stadium, 3 October 2015

On 5 April 2015, Ivanković was confirmed as the new manager of Persepolis, signing a 1+1⁄2-year contract with the club.^[17] After good performances with the club, which left the team in the first place with six matches remaining, Ivanković extended his contract with Persepolis in April 2016 to the end of the 2017–18 season and in 2017 to the end of the 2019–20 season. After the end of the 2018–19 season, it was reported that he was signed for Ahli Jeddah^[18] before returning to Croatia for his annual vacation. Ivanković announced that he will leave Persepolis on 11 June 2019.^[19]

Al-Ahli

On 18 June 2019, he was confirmed signing a two-year contract with Al-Ahli.^[20] On 16 September 2019, Ivanković was officially sacked after just five games due to poor results.^[21][22]

Oman

On 19 January 2020, Ivanković was announced as the head coach of the Oman national team to succeed Erwin Koeman after the latter's dismissal.^[23] Under Ivanković, Oman pulled off a historic win over Japan in the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.^[24] In December 2021, he extended his contract with Oman until 2023.^[25]

Following Oman's group stage exit from the 2023 AFC Asian Cup without a single win, Ivanković was sacked by the Oman Football Association.^[26]

China

On 24 February 2024, Ivanković was announced as the head coach of China national football team, replacing former Yugoslav compatriot Aleksandar Janković.^[27]

Personal life

Branko is the younger brother of Zlatko Ivanković, who has also coached various teams in the Middle East.^[28]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 19 November 2024^[29][30]

Team	From	To	Record
			G	W	D	L	Win %
Varteks	July 1991	June 1995	116	44	34	38	037.93
Rijeka	August 1996	March 1998	30	13	7	10	043.33
Hannover 96	July 1999	February 2000	34	12	8	14	035.29
Iran	February 2002	September 2002	10	4	4	2	040.00
Iran U-23	September 2002	October 2002	6	4	2	0	066.67
Iran	October 2003	July 2006	42	28	7	7	066.67
Dinamo Zagreb	November 2006	January 2008	110	78	14	18	070.91
Shandong Luneng	April 2010	July 2011	36	21	10	5	058.33
Ettifaq	July 2011	April 2012	42	18	12	12	042.86
Al-Wahda	July 2012	April 2013	34	18	3	13	052.94
Dinamo Zagreb	September 2013	October 2013	5	2	1	2	040.00
Persepolis	April 2015	June 2019	175	98	49	28	056.00
Al-Ahli	June 2019	September 2019	5	2	1	2	040.00
Oman	January 2020	January 2024	46	22	10	14	047.83
China	February 2024	Present	10	3	2	5	030.00
Total			697	367	157	169	52.65

Honours

Manager

Iran U23

• Asian Games Gold Medal: 2002

Iran

• WAFF Championship: 2004
• AFC/OFC Cup Challenge: 2003

Dinamo Zagreb

• Croatian First League: 2006–07, 2007–08
• Croatian Cup: 2006–07
• Croatian Super Cup: 2006

Shandong Luneng

• Chinese Super League: 2010

Ivanković receiving IFF best manager award

Persepolis

• Persian Gulf Pro League: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, runner-up: 2015–16
• Hazfi Cup: 2018–19
• Iranian Super Cup: 2017, 2018, 2019
• AFC Champions League runner-up: 2018

Individual

• HNS Croatian Coach of the Year: 2007, 2008
• Chinese Football Association Coach of the Year: 2010
• Persian Gulf Pro League Coach of the Season: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19

References

1. "brániti". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2018. Brȃnko
2. "Ìvan". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018. Ìvānković
3. "Ivanković za Index: Spreman sam, radim taj posao 12 godina". Index.hr (in Croatian). 16 July 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
4. "Iran's former football coach Branko Ivankovic takes over at Shandong". Daily News and Analysis. Reuters. 17 December 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
5. "Ivanković ponovno izbornik Irana" (in Croatian). Index.hr. 1 October 2003. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
6. "Iran – Group D". World Cup 2006. CBC.ca. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
7. "Iran replace Ivankovic with league winner". The Times (Malta). Reuters. 18 June 2006. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
8. "FIFA suspends Iran Football Federation". FIFA.com. 23 November 2006. Archived from the original on 26 October 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
9. "Zdravko Mamić izvrijeđao i otjerao Branka Ivankovića!" (in Croatian). 24 November 2008. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
10. "Ivankovic returns as Dinamo Zagreb coach". ESPN Soccernet. 21 May 2008. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
11. "Ook Rijsbergen in beeld bij Persepolis" (in Dutch). Goal.Com. 12 July 2009. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
12. "Croatia's Branko snubs Persepolis F.C. offer". Tehran Times. 13 July 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
13. "Branko Ivanković becomes head coach of Saudi Al-Itifaq FC". Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
14. "Branko Ivanković Sacked From Ettifaq FC And May Join Al Wahda". Kabir News. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
15. "الوحدة يقيل برانكو" (in Arabic). 27 April 2013. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
16. "Dinamo turn to familiar face of Ivanković". UEFA.com. 2 September 2013. Archived from the original on 12 October 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
17. "Persepolis bring Croat Ivankovic back to Iran". Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
18. "الأهلي يتفق مع المدرب الكرواتي برانكو". جريدة الرياض (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
19. "Ivanković: "Iako sam siguran da će Persepolis isplatiti sve što duguje, napuštam Iran ovog ljeta"". Sportnet (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
20. Club, Al-Ahli Saudi (18 June 2019). "Branko Ivankovic is the new manager of the first football team after signing a 2-year contract". Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
21. Club, Al-Ahli Saudi (16 September 2019). "Al-Ahli terminates Ivankovic's contract". @ALAHLI_FCEN. Archived from the original on 16 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
22. "Službeno: Branko Ivanković dobio otkaz na klupi saudijskog prvoligaša". www.index.hr (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
23. "Croatian Branko Ivankovic is the new Oman coach". Times of Oman. 19 January 2020. Archived from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
24. "Oman optimistic of building on shock success". FIFA. 6 September 2021. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
25. @OmanFA (14 December 2021). "مجلس إدارة الاتحاد العماني لكرة القدم يجدد تعاقده مع الكرواتي برانكو إيفانكوفيتش لمدة عامين" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
26. @OmanFA (25 January 2024). "اتحاد القدم يبلغ المدرب الكرواتي برانكو إيفانكوفيتش بعدم الرغبة في التجديد معه" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
27. "伊万科维奇出任中国国家男子足球队主教练" (in Chinese). Chinese Football Association. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
28. "Branko Ivankovic's brother appointed Persepolis coach". 17 December 2017. Archived from the original on 25 December 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
29. "Branko Ivanković". hrnogomet.com.
30. "Oman – Matches". Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Abdollah Veisi	Iran Pro League Winning Manager 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19	Succeeded by Yahya Golmohammadi